Dell Laptops Post-installer - XPS, Inspiron, Vostro, Lattitude

[csn_pilot]

Hi. I'm already running at 10.5.6, but need to update to 10.5.8. There is a good likely hood of me not being able to boot after the update, and if that's the case, I have no problem starting over. My question is this: How can I make it a more organized installation? What is the /Extra/ folder or the dsdt.aml thing? I've never bothered with any of that and everything has worked fine for me. Is there an installer that would streamline the process of starting from scratch, like there is for the dell mini 9?

 

I have a 10.5.1 retail DVD. Could someone link to a good guide, or tell me the steps to take to install using this DVD, all the way to 10.5.8? My hardware is in the sig, I think, but I'll put it here to be sure:

 

1.6 ghz T2050 Core Duo

1 GB RAM

Intel GMA 950

Sigmatel 9200

Synaptic Trackpad

Dell 1390 Wireless

Broadcom 440x ethernet

 

Also, is there a way to get sleep working? I don't have time to read through the whole forum, so could someone just help me a bit. Thanks a lot.

[NYC Coyote]

I loaded your files in my root\extra folder and the only possible difference i ca nsee is that the touchpad is somewhat more useable. how should I go about identifying kexts for my hardware and getting them loaded?

 

It's a little hard to know what to tell you in the way of kexts (if I even know) without knowing what hardware you have.

 

just did a software update to 10.5.8 from 10.5.6. I basically knew I would screw my system and made a backup image beforehand. Boy, was I shocked when the system booted up fine with no issues, whatsoever (after second boot, as expected).

Voodoo all the way

Am I a lucky {censored}?

gotta change my sig now

 

What did you do?!?!?!

 

Because on my test drive I have a complete retail installation. Finally figured out all the kexts and little tweaks to use with chameleon.

 

BUT......

 

I have noticed that going to 10.5.8 I lose the hardware light for the wifi. And then if I do the Aiport Update, the laptop won't turn on the Broadcom Wireless at all!!!! And I can't switch it on through the software. All is fine on the Windows partition.

[NYC Coyote]

Here is my latest versions of what I am using for a retail install. I have uploaded the files so others can download

 

1. Chameleon 2 RC2 r640: http://www.mediafire.com/?dzzyj10agzj

2. Extension Folder for Chameleon: http://www.mediafire.com/?v4jmiddznyj

3. smbios.plist to show up as MacBook Pro (goes in Chameleon's Extra folder): http://www.mediafire.com/?mngmeg3j2va

4. VoodoHDA for Sigmatel sound (install into s/l/e using kexthelper): http://www.mediafire.com/?hmigeezj04w

5. Kexthelper: http://www.mediafire.com/?3z1ywmfmzlh

6. Trackpad Preference Pane (remove the one from s/l/e and replace with this one): http://www.mediafire.com/?m2jwmnh2th2

7. Dual Boot Time Fix (Fixes the way that Leopard does time so it's in sync with other OS's): http://www.mediafire.com/?zjzbovmc2ty

8. Modded OSInstall.mpkg to create a Retail Disc that can install on an MBR Partition (replace original): http://www.mediafire.com/?22ykikjjmyz

 

Everything works (even after 10.5.8 update from 10.5.6)....fixed Wifi issue...fixed bluetooth issue...fixed ethernet issue (it wasn't showing up at all - don't know if it disconnects).

 

Only thing I'm looking into is why the keyboard can not be recognized. Any ideas?

 

If there is a need for step by step instuctions on how I did the install, let me know. I did the whole thing from a bootable usb retail install with chameleon and the mbr fix. After prep work to make the USB, the install took 15 minutes total.

[csn_pilot]

Here is my latest versions of what I am using for a retail install. I have uploaded the files so others can download

 

1. Chameleon 2 RC2 r640: http://www.mediafire.com/?dzzyj10agzj

2. Extension Folder for Chameleon: http://www.mediafire.com/?frnmzyywtzm

3. smbios.plist to show up as MacBook Pro (goes in Chameleon's Extra folder): http://www.mediafire.com/?mngmeg3j2va

4. VoodoHDA for Sigmatel sound (install into s/l/e using kexthelper): http://www.mediafire.com/?hmigeezj04w

5. Kexthelper: http://www.mediafire.com/?3z1ywmfmzlh

6. Trackpad Preference Pane (remove the one from s/l/e and replace with this one): http://www.mediafire.com/?m2jwmnh2th2

7. Dual Boot Time Fix (Fixes the way that Leopard does time so it's in sync with other OS's): http://www.mediafire.com/?zjzbovmc2ty

8. Modded OSInstall.mpkg to create a Retail Disc that can install on an MBR Partition (replace original): http://www.mediafire.com/?22ykikjjmyz

 

When in 10.5.6 everything works. When I update to 10.5.8 I lose the hardware light showing I have Wifi. When I do the update for the Airport, the Wifi does not turn on at all AND my bluetooth will not connect to my bluetooth mouse. It sees it and says its connected, but it will not work. I am investigating both issues (any help on that is truly appreciated)

 

If there is a need for step by step instuctions on how I did the install, let me know. I did the whole thing from a bootable usb retail install with chameleon and the mbr fix. After prep work to make the USB, the install took 15 minutes total.

 

Thanks a lot. Could you just give me some step by step instructions. You don't need to go into too many details, just an idea of what you did, if you could. Also, did you use any of Sonotone's programs? Thanks in advance.

[TheKing]

Hello. Guys, Yes, I am the new maintainer of this project as sonotone said, so I am now working on new version (1.5). In version 2.0, I will be making transition to Snow Leopard.

[fryeguy]

It's a little hard to know what to tell you in the way of kexts (if I even know) without knowing what hardware you have.

 

 

 

What did you do?!?!?!

 

Because on my test drive I have a complete retail installation. Finally figured out all the kexts and little tweaks to use with chameleon.

 

BUT......

 

I have noticed that going to 10.5.8 I lose the hardware light for the wifi. And then if I do the Aiport Update, the laptop won't turn on the Broadcom Wireless at all!!!! And I can't switch it on through the software. All is fine on the Windows partition.

 

Inspiron 6400

2Ghz Dual Core

2GB DDR2 RAM

50GB HDD

ATI Radeon Mobility X1400 256MB

Sigmatel Sound

Synaptics Touchpad

Broadcom 440x NIC

Intel 3945ABG Wifi

 

My biggest concerns are for sound, touchpad, and Firewire. Everything else is a nice to have.

[TheGreatDeceiver]

What did you do?!?!?!

 

Because on my test drive I have a complete retail installation. Finally figured out all the kexts and little tweaks to use with chameleon.

 

BUT......

 

I have noticed that going to 10.5.8 I lose the hardware light for the wifi. And then if I do the Aiport Update, the laptop won't turn on the Broadcom Wireless at all!!!! And I can't switch it on through the software. All is fine on the Windows partition.

hmm, there is something that did in fact change with the wireless light. In OSX it was always on half intensity. Now it's on full intensity, just like in Windows. Odd, I wonder if it's related. Anyway, wireless is working fine. I don't have bluetooth. Maybe your wireless will work if you remove your bluetooth? just an idea ( I think you can turn it off in the BIOS).

btw. I also noticed that I lost my deep sleep, not that I really care, but it's gone for now.

[ct2k7]

Ok, what exactly is in this bundle?

[NYC Coyote]

Thanks a lot. Could you just give me some step by step instructions. You don't need to go into too many details, just an idea of what you did, if you could. Also, did you use any of Sonotone's programs? Thanks in advance.

 

I did start by using the kexts from Sonotones Custom Chameleon v1 installer. So I wasn't starting from a blank slate.

 

1. Extract DMG to USB Stick

a. Unfortunately only know how to do this in Mac...so you will need someone with a working Mac/Hack

b. Put Retail Disc in drive OR Mount DMG Image of Retail Disc

c. Put a minimum 8gb usb drive (flash or hard drive) in

d. Open up Disc Utility

e. Format the USB drive to an HFS Journaled Partition AND make sure that it is MBR (it should be by defualt since its a usb drive)

f. Click on the restore tab

g. Drag the USB HFS Partition to Destination and the Retail Disc Image to Source

h. Do the restore (this will take time - go get a coffee)

 

2. Making USB Retail Disc Image able to install to MBR

a. By default Retail discs can only install to a Guid Partition table. Some of us like the option to do it to MBR, especially if you already have windows on another drive.

b. First thing is to show all the hidden files (this is only temporary as it will show extra {censored} on your desktop as well)

c. Open up terminal, and type the following: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE

d. Click on the apple, then force quite....then choose restart finder

e. In the retail disc image, navigate to System - Library - Packages and replace the OSInstall.mpkg with the one from my link (it was created from a 10.5.6 OSInstall - if you have others, there are intructions on Insanelymac about how to make your own - its only removing one line of code from it)

f. In terminal type the following to hide the hidden files: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

 

3. Make the USB Retail Disc Image bootable

a. Run Chameleon and change the Installation destination when prompted to the USB Drive

b. Copy the extensions provided into chameleon's extra/extensions folder.

c. Copy the smbios.plist into the chameleon's extra folder (this is to show up as a MacBook Pro)

 

You now have a Clean Retail Bootable USB OS X Installer that will run on a PC (with extensions for my specs at least - see my signature for that) and install to an MBR Partition table

 

Install to a drive/partition - after install you will need to boot with the external drive again, but choose the partition for your new install on boot. and then install chameleon to the harddrive itself so you will no longer need to boot with the external. Then copy all of the chameleon stuff from the usb drive to the extra folder of the new install. Few items left to take care of after install:

 

4. Replace the trackpad.preferencepane in System - Library - Preferencepanes with the one provided. From 10.5.6 on the trackpad was for specific trackpads...this one should work on synaptics at least.

 

5. Run Kexthelper (also in my links) and install the VoodooHDA for the sound

 

AND IF YOU ARE DUAL BOOTING

 

6. Run the installer for the dual boot time fix. It mods the way the mac figures out what time it is WITHOUT changing your timezone. So it will be in step with Windows.

 

There are other little items you can do in Chameleon such as point it to another kernel (such as a tsc modded vanilla so you don't suffer stuttering - as of writing this I can't find a 10.5.8 tsc vanilla) or you can put in the flag in chameleon's boot.plist to cpus=1 if you have this problem.

 

I would also love to be able to automate the install of chameleon 2 with these Kexts (as Sontone did for ver 1.) as well as maybe including the trackpad preference pane in the install as well as installing the sound and the dual boot time fix. Unfortunately I'm not a programmer (anyone out there can help with this??????)

 

As I wrote...when I went to 10.5.8 I lost my wifi light and after the latest Airport update I now lost wifi completely (can not turn it on - it shows up as there) and my bluetooth is able to connect to devices but no longer able to perform the handshake properly to use them. Any assistance on these two things is greatly appreciated.

[csn_pilot]

I did start by using the kexts from Sonotones Custom Chameleon v1 installer. So I wasn't starting from a blank slate.

 

1. Extract DMG to USB Stick

a. Unfortunately only know how to do this in Mac...so you will need someone with a working Mac/Hack

b. Put Retail Disc in drive OR Mount DMG Image of Retail Disc

c. Put a minimum 8gb usb drive (flash or hard drive) in

d. Open up Disc Utility

e. Format the USB drive to an HFS Journaled Partition AND make sure that it is MBR (it should be by defualt since its a usb drive)

f. Click on the restore tab

g. Drag the USB HFS Partition to Destination and the Retail Disc Image to Source

h. Do the restore (this will take time - go get a coffee)

 

2. Making USB Retail Disc Image able to install to MBR

a. By default Retail discs can only install to a Guid Partition table. Some of us like the option to do it to MBR, especially if you already have windows on another drive.

b. First thing is to show all the hidden files (this is only temporary as it will show extra {censored} on your desktop as well)

c. Open up terminal, and type the following: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE

d. Click on the apple, then force quite....then choose restart finder

e. In the retail disc image, navigate to System - Library - Packages and replace the OSInstall.mpkg with the one from my link (it was created from a 10.5.6 OSInstall - if you have others, there are intructions on Insanelymac about how to make your own - its only removing one line of code from it)

f. In terminal type the following to hide the hidden files: defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

 

3. Make the USB Retail Disc Image bootable

a. Run Chameleon and change the Installation destination when prompted to the USB Drive

b. Copy the extensions provided into chameleon's extra/extensions folder.

c. Copy the smbios.plist into the chameleon's extra folder (this is to show up as a MacBook Pro)

 

You now have a Clean Retail Bootable USB OS X Installer that will run on a PC (with extensions for my specs at least - see my signature for that) and install to an MBR Partition table

 

Install to a drive/partition - after install you will need to boot with the external drive again, but choose the partition for your new install on boot. and then install chameleon to the harddrive itself so you will no longer need to boot with the external. Then copy all of the chameleon stuff from the usb drive to the extra folder of the new install. Few items left to take care of after install:

 

4. Replace the trackpad.preferencepane in System - Library - Preferencepanes with the one provided. From 10.5.6 on the trackpad was for specific trackpads...this one should work on synaptics at least.

 

5. Run Kexthelper (also in my links) and install the VoodooHDA for the sound

 

AND IF YOU ARE DUAL BOOTING

 

6. Run the installer for the dual boot time fix. It mods the way the mac figures out what time it is WITHOUT changing your timezone. So it will be in step with Windows.

 

There are other little items you can do in Chameleon such as point it to another kernel (such as a tsc modded vanilla so you don't suffer stuttering - as of writing this I can't find a 10.5.8 tsc vanilla) or you can put in the flag in chameleon's boot.plist to cpus=1 if you have this problem.

 

I would also love to be able to automate the install of chameleon 2 with these Kexts (as Sontone did for ver 1.) as well as maybe including the trackpad preference pane in the install as well as installing the sound and the dual boot time fix. Unfortunately I'm not a programmer (anyone out there can help with this??????)

 

As I wrote...when I went to 10.5.8 I lost my wifi light and after the latest Airport update I now lost wifi completely (can not turn it on - it shows up as there) and my bluetooth is able to connect to devices but no longer able to perform the handshake properly to use them. Any assistance on these two things is greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks a lot. I'll try that. Good luck with your wifi.

[leppy700m]

As I wrote...when I went to 10.5.8 I lost my wifi light and after the latest Airport update I now lost wifi completely (can not turn it on - it shows up as there) and my bluetooth is able to connect to devices but no longer able to perform the handshake properly to use them. Any assistance on these two things is greatly appreciated.

 

I restored IO80211Family.kext from the 10.5.7 update. Then deleted caches, fix permissions and rebooted. No joy. Then I tried booting with -f flag. Yay. Wieless works normally. Don't know why I have to keep entering -f bootflag - if I can't fix it I guess I could just add it to the plist.

[NYC Coyote]

I restored IO80211Family.kext from the 10.5.7 update. Then deleted caches, fix permissions and rebooted. No joy. Then I tried booting with -f flag. Yay. Wieless works normally. Don't know why I have to keep entering -f bootflag - if I can't fix it I guess I could just add it to the plist.

 

I'm away from my computer till tomorrow night, but theoretically we should be able to add that to the extra/extension folder of chameleon and it should retain it. I'll extract it from the 10.5.6 install to try it.

 

Although if anyone gets the chance BEFORE tomorrow night it will save me the time.

 

This should save us some work as 10.5.8 is the last update until 10.6

 

Still waiting on a tsc kernel for 10.5.8 as well.

 

Any idea about the bluetooth problem? Is it part of the same kext?

[NYC Coyote]

OK...modified my original list of files with a new extension folder.

 

Now everything works Wifi? Yes...it's in there. Bluetooth? Yes...it's in there. Ethernet? Yes...it's in there.

 

Only issue I can see now is trying to figure out why the laptop keyboard can not be recognized. Hmmmmm.....

 

Also...anyone know if a tsc 10.5.8 vanilla kernel is out?

[TheGreatDeceiver]

OK...modified my original list of files with a new extension folder.

 

Now everything works Wifi? Yes...it's in there. Bluetooth? Yes...it's in there. Ethernet? Yes...it's in there.

 

Only issue I can see now is trying to figure out why the laptop keyboard can not be recognized. Hmmmmm.....

 

Also...anyone know if a tsc 10.5.8 vanilla kernel is out?

 

tried the voodoops2controller.kext?

[NYC Coyote]

tried the voodoops2controller.kext?

 

Not yet....what ps2 kexts from my extensions folder need to be removed for that to work? can it be put in the extension folder?

 

Mind giving it a try?

[TheGreatDeceiver]

Not yet....what ps2 kexts from my extensions folder need to be removed for that to work? can it be put in the extension folder?

 

Mind giving it a try?

 

I am using it.

make sure you remove :

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleACPIPlatform.kext/Contents/PlugIns/ACPIPS2Nub.kext

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleACPIPS2Nub.kext

/System/Library/Extensions/ApplePS2Controller.kext

 

or anything related to these in /Extra/Extensions.mkext

 

you can put the the voodoo kext into /Extra/Extensions.mkext or in the Extension folder. Use kexthelper or OSX86tools. Repair permissions and reboot.

 

good luck.

[NYC Coyote]

I am using it.

make sure you remove :

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleACPIPlatform.kext/Contents/PlugIns/ACPIPS2Nub.kext

/System/Library/Extensions/AppleACPIPS2Nub.kext

/System/Library/Extensions/ApplePS2Controller.kext

 

or anything related to these in /Extra/Extensions.mkext

 

you can put the the voodoo kext into /Extra/Extensions.mkext or in the Extension folder. Use kexthelper or OSX86tools. Repair permissions and reboot.

 

good luck.

 

Wait...so how do I remove it then? If the Voodoo is added to my chameleon install...I can't remove them the first time I boot the OS....wouldn't that be a problem?

[TheGreatDeceiver]

Wait...so how do I remove it then? If the Voodoo is added to my chameleon install...I can't remove them the first time I boot the OS....wouldn't that be a problem?

 

just as I wrote: boot into your system, remove the problem files, add voodoo kext, repair permissions and reboot.

this will be the only way to do this if the original files are on the system.

any other way in which these files coexist with the voodoo kext will lead to kps, e.g. I do not think you can put them into your chameleon install, unless you create an uninstall script that deletes the problem files first before boot.

[NYC Coyote]

just as I wrote: boot into your system, remove the problem files, add voodoo kext, repair permissions and reboot.

this will be the only way to do this if the original files are on the system.

any other way in which these files coexist with the voodoo kext will lead to kps, e.g. I do not think you can put them into your chameleon install, unless you create an uninstall script that deletes the problem files first before boot.

 

damn...maybe I should figure out why I never had the keyboard unrecognized before (you know...the "hit the key next to the left shift..hit the key next to the right shift" it doesn't recognize it...I have to tell it what keyboard I have manually.

 

Its not a big deal. I may keep it the way it is so its completely clean minus that voodoohda added and the trackpad replaced. I'm trying to keep it break proof as much as possible...

 

Are there any advantages to the voodoo one?

 

Maybe I can grab ps2 kexts from an older install and dump them into chameleon?

 

Hell...maybe someone can build a new "post installer" which actually installs chameleon with all these kexts, plus the other stuff I wrote.

[TheGreatDeceiver]

damn...maybe I should figure out why I never had the keyboard unrecognized before (you know...the "hit the key next to the left shift..hit the key next to the right shift" it doesn't recognize it...I have to tell it what keyboard I have manually.

 

Its not a big deal. I may keep it the way it is so its completely clean minus that voodoohda added and the trackpad replaced. I'm trying to keep it break proof as much as possible...

 

Are there any advantages to the voodoo one?

 

Maybe I can grab ps2 kexts from an older install and dump them into chameleon?

 

Hell...maybe someone can build a new "post installer" which actually installs chameleon with all these kexts, plus the other stuff I wrote.

advantage is that trackpad works 100% as it is supposed to, just like in Windows. Any problems with keyboard not being recognized are gone as well.

[fryeguy]

advantage is that trackpad works 100% as it is supposed to, just like in Windows. Any problems with keyboard not being recognized are gone as well.

does your trackpad have the scrolling areas? my trackpad still is pretty worthless. not sure what files need tweaking. now I have sound and can use garageband again. still having graphics issues where some programs (like numbers) are unuseable. usb is also sort of unreliable. sometimes i plug in devices and they aren't immediately recognized. in some cases requiring switching ports or rebooting.

[TheGreatDeceiver]

does your trackpad have the scrolling areas? my trackpad still is pretty worthless. not sure what files need tweaking. now I have sound and can use garageband again. still having graphics issues where some programs (like numbers) are unuseable. usb is also sort of unreliable. sometimes i plug in devices and they aren't immediately recognized. in some cases requiring switching ports or rebooting.

no graphic issues here. if you do it's likely incorrect framebuffer kext. It's also possible that the graphics problems are related to AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext present (you have gma950 or something else?). and yes, scrolling areas work just like in windows, the way it was designed. make sure all remnants of ffscroll are removed in case you used it. with the prefpane you can also adjust it to do tap scrolling (you know,when you apply pressure to the pad and move your finger). My USB problems all went away when removing AppleHPET.kext. Note that if you have sleep working with an nvidia card removing this kext is not recommended as you will lose sleep functions.

 

Still waiting on a tsc kernel for 10.5.8 as well.

yeah, me too. either wait for voodoo project to come with something out soon or a well-known guru here may fix it for us

[NYC Coyote]

hopefully whomever took this over can take the work I posted...add the voodoo ps2 stuff.....AND

 

create an installer which does everything!!!

 

I ain't no programmer

[TheGreatDeceiver]

Intel GMA 950

 

Also, is there a way to get sleep working? I don't have time to read through the whole forum, so could someone just help me a bit. Thanks a lot.

 

just wanted you to be aware that unlike people with nvidia or ati, your notebook will never do normal sleep (hibernatemode 3). Anything related to sleep or grafx issues in NYC Coyote's posts are for nvidia specifically and do not apply to your system. The only mode of sleep you'll ever get is deep sleep (hibernatemode 1). this will only work with the latest pcefiv9 or chameleon bootloaders in combination with the correct kernel.

[fryeguy]

no graphic issues here. if you do it's likely incorrect framebuffer kext. It's also possible that the graphics problems are related to AppleIntelCPUPowerManagement.kext present (you have gma950 or something else?). and yes, scrolling areas work just like in windows, the way it was designed. make sure all remnants of ffscroll are removed in case you used it. with the prefpane you can also adjust it to do tap scrolling (you know,when you apply pressure to the pad and move your finger). My USB problems all went away when removing AppleHPET.kext. Note that if you have sleep working with an nvidia card removing this kext is not recommended as you will lose sleep functions.

 

 

yeah, me too. either wait for voodoo project to come with something out soon or a well-known guru here may fix it for us

I have the ATI card. Either X1300 or X1400. I see kext files for it in s/l/e (I think) but still acts a little weird. So in general with kext files can I simply add or delete and then reboot? when do I need to use kext helper to add kext files? I loaded the prefpane for trackpad but it didn't seem to have any effect. I don't see it in sys pref under keyboard/mouse.